Parking is always FREE on Sundays in downtown Chapel Hill, but this holiday season parking will be FREE on Saturdays as well! The Town of Chapel Hill will be offering downtown patrons and visitors FREE parking on Saturdays in December (3, 10, 17, & 24) at all municipal lots, the Wallace Parking Deck, and at on-street meters. At 5PM on Saturdays, the Wallace Deck and Rosemary/Columbia Lot will begin charging at their normal rate. www.franklinstreetparking.com.

Holiday Events at FRANKCreate an artful holiday season! Stop by FRANK on Thursday, December 8 from 5PM to 8PM to hear UNC Tar Heel Voices, a beautiful a cappella singing group from UNC; and check someone off your list by purchasing one-of-a-kind gifts by local artists. Enjoy refreshments too! www.frankisart.com.

Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair

Nightlight Bar & Club is hosting it's annual fair on Saturday, December 10 from 2PM to 6PM. That is going to be an exciting day downtown -see the parade in the morning, have lunch, then go shopping at the arts & crafts fair! The fair offers an amazing array of items including vintage clothing, records, baked goods, plants, and stunning hand-made crafts for all ages. www.nightlightclub.com.

Are You Ready for 2012?Franklin Street Yoga Center is offering a free Vision & Goals Workshop on Saturday, December 10 at 2PM to support you in creating and living your ideal life and a life that you love. It will provide you with the training and community that will support you in developing your vision and achieving your goals. www.franklinstyoga.com.

Holiday Glam at AVEDA

Ready for those holiday parties? Get beautiful and save money too! Enjoy quarterly specials, Tues-Thurs until December 31st: Haircut $15; Pure Focus Facial $30; Mani/pedi combo $35 with 1 free OPI. And Early Bird Specials, Tues-Thurs before 12PM: Simple Highlight $15, wax BOGO. THIS WEEK ONLY: Bring a friend new to AVEDA and you both get a free $10 service gift card. While supplies last. Purchase a holiday gift set and receive a free $10 gift card. Visit www.avedachapelhill.com.

Every year the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill gives us a chance to get inside our town's historic homes - each with a fascinating story to tell. This year's tour, December 10 & 11 from 1PM to 5PM, is through the celebrated Greenwood neighborhood. The tour includes eight historic homes as well as a 19th century, historic African-American cemetery. Tickets $30 weekend of the event. Visit www.chapelhillpreservation.com.

Crunkleton Spirits Class Are you prepared to make nifty drinks for your friends and family at your next party? Just in time for the holidays - The Crunkleton's Spirits Classes is being offered for $125, instead of the usual $250, through the end of the year. The two-hour class features cocktail history, spirits knowledge, and mixology. It's a great gift for that someone who is hard to shop for, or a great gift for yourself to spruce up your skills before your holiday parties. Visit www.thecrunkleton.com.

Chapel Hill - Carrboro Holiday ParadeGet ready to see the cutest wrapped gifts you've ever imagined walking down the streets on Saturday, December 10 from 10AM to 12PM. The annual community holiday parade starts at the corner of Henderson and Franklin streets and meanders west, the entire length of Franklin Street. It ends up at Carrboro Town Hall.

Hot Cocoa Party at KidzuTis the season for hot cocoa! So join Kidzu Children's Museum for their Members Only Night TONIGHT- Thursday, December 8, 6PM to 8PM.The new space is bright and fantastic; all of your childs favorite exhibits and play structures are there! Watch this great video of Kidzu's new space (video by Bobby Funk). Visit www.kidzuchildrensmusuem.org.

5th Annual Student Print & Art SalePrints, ceramics, photos, drawings, and more will all be for sale on Friday, December 9 from 11AM to 9PM in the Hanes Art Center, Room 301 (located next door to the Ackland Art Museum). This sale is timed every year for great holiday shopping. You'll find deals on original student artwork! Cash or check accepted. Presented by the UNC Department of Art, Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity, and The Artery.

Books and Broadsides for the HolidaysJoin the Ackland Museum Store on Friday, December 9 at 7PM for another opportunity to see their current show, "Books and Broadsides (first edition)", do a little shopping, and listen to some fabulous music played by the one and only Durham Ukulele Orchestra. It should be a wonderful evening filled with amazing artwork, fabulous gifts, fun music, and lots of holiday cheer. Visit www.ackland.org.

PlayMakers & The Crunkleton Event

The Crunkleton and Playmakers Repetory Company are hosting a post show gathering on Sunday, December 11 from 5:30PM to 8PM. Following the afternoon matinee and post-show discussion of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Crunkleton will host a post show gathering with guest bartenders. Gary has crafted a cocktail in the spirit of the play and the era, called "The Proof of Social Pleasures".

Children's Christmas PageantUniversity United Methodist Church is having a traditional Children's Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 11 at 6:30 PM. The event is free and open to all. After the production, children will lead the congregation in singing some of their favorite Christmas carols- everyone will walk out of that church bursting with some serious holiday spirit! Visit www.chapelhilluumc.org.

The Carolina Inn's Festivities Continue

This weekend visitors will enjoy Holiday Entertaining with Executive Chef Jimmy Reale, a performance of the Suzuki Academy of North Carolina, a Teddy Bear Tea, and of course Breakfast & Brunch with Santa. Everyday you can tour the Inn's new unique interpretation of the verses of the traditional holiday carol, 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'. For more information or to purchase tickets online for these activities visit www.carolinainn.com.

Morehead Membership DiscountMorehead Planetarium & Science Center is offering a special $10 discount on Morehead membership purchases now through Dec. 31, 2011. This offer is available online (discount code HOLIDAY2011 must be entered) as well as in the Morehead gift shop. The Holiday Concert Series continues this weekend with The Sandbox Band and The Chelsea Chimes. Performances are in the fulldome theater under a sky of stars! Ticket information at www.moreheadplanetarium.org.

The Bicycle Chain 10,20,30 SaleYour friends at The Bicycle Chain have a plan to help you save this December with their Holiday 10, 20, 30 Sale! 10% off all bicycles and accessories* - 20% off all in-stock 2011 bicycles with an original retail below $1000 - 30% off all in-stock 2011 bicycles with an original retail over $1000! The sale runs until Saturday, December 24. *excludes labor, previously discounted items; discounts cannot be combined. Visit www.thebicyclechain.com.

Occupy Art: Our Holiday Window DisplayThe Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership and local artist Adrian Schlesinger will install the much anticipated holiday window display in the Yates Motor Company building at 419 West Franklin Street this week. The display will be a visual testament to what this winter season brings to us as a community - both a sense of focusing inward and yet reaching out to celebrate each other. It's styled much in the tradition of New York's famous department store holiday window displays. Read about the journey to bring this public art downtown.

The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership leads and manages the downtown through partnership efforts; marketing and promotions; improving the visual appeal of downtown; and rebuilding downtown as a mixed use center of retail, service, professional, governmental, institutional, and residential uses.

The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership's mission is to bring the resources of the Town, University and downtown community together to maintain, enhance and promote downtown as the social, cultural, and spiritual center of Chapel Hill through economic development. Learn more here.